


You don’t know what you’ve lost, until she’s gone

by Writers_War_Z0ne



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Antiharem, Drug Abuse, Except Mutt, F/M, Heather is a bitch, Its like a harem but everyone hates you :)), I’m hopping on the train of Anti Harems, Mutt is the Holy Virgin, Poor Reader, Reader Is Not Chara (Undertale), Reader Is Not Frisk (Undertale), Reader and Mutt are crackheads when put together, Reader is done with everyone’s shit, Tags will be updated when necessary, They will feel regret when the truth comes out, and your only friend-, but drug addiction is hard to shake off, but she’s a strong bitch and will overcome, everyone is an asshole to you, he’s a good boy, mentions of abuse, poor mutt, reader isn’t in a good place, reader just wants some peace
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-17
Updated: 2020-06-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:40:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 13,688
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24237424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writers_War_Z0ne/pseuds/Writers_War_Z0ne
Summary: How were you supposed to know you’d lose your best friends to someone else?How were you suppose to know they’d leave you behind for her?...How were you supposed to know she’d turn them on you, make them hate you for things she said about you?.... how were you supposed to know she’d mess with the machine and bring more trouble to your already troubled heart?....... How were you supposed to know you’d find a new best friend out of all the pain she’s brought you?
Relationships: Papyrus (Swapfell)/Reader, Papyrus (Underswap)/Reader, Papyrus (Undertale)/Reader, Papyrus (underfell)/reader, Sans (Swapfell)/Reader, Sans (Underfell)/Reader, Sans (Underswap)/Reader, Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Comments: 265
Kudos: 1026





	1. The last Straw

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Just a Background Character](https://archiveofourown.org/works/22763626) by [anxiouspastalover](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anxiouspastalover/pseuds/anxiouspastalover). 



  
  


… You packed your things in silence, not a single breath too loud, not a single item dropped, and not a single tear shed as you quickly stuffed as much clothing and as many belongings into the big suitcase as you could fit… 

  
  


It had all been great before  _ she _ showed up… 

  
  
  
  


You had met Sans when the two of you were still in college and were both looking for ways to cut corners on costs even though he was basically rich from all the gold they had in the Underground. Of course, it hadn't been until your third year in and your third year of knowing Sans that the two of you felt comfortable enough to go rent a place together… he was a funny little skeleton when he wasn’t constantly blasting you with puns and he was the sharpest damn crayon in the box. God only knows how many times he helped you when you were stuck on something that made no sense no matter how many times you reread the lesson….

  
  


You were  _ ‘the bestest of best friends’ _ as he liked to say. There was never a time anyone would see the two of you  _ not _ joined at the hip outside of class. You both did everything together. Joked together. Ate together. Did homework together. Studied together. Pranked people together. Walked together. Hell- you even slept together whenever he called you to see if he could come over after having a nightmare… and then you both ended up living together, moving into a small house for three people with an added on basement, and you met the one and only Papyrus, who you’ve heard so much about from Sans’ non stop talking about him. You basically knew everything about the tall skeleton before ever meeting him in person…

  
  


It was great! The best time of your life!- well… maybe not those times when one of them walked in on you using the bathroom because you forgot to lock the door, but other than that, it was like a dream come true! Living with two good friends, waking up every morning to Papyrus cooking something in the kitchen and going to wake up Sans in the mornings so the two of you could eat and then get your asses to class at the last minute. Papyrus was still in school, almost finishing up at the police academy so he can work with his friend Undyne, but he always made time in the mornings to make the two of you breakfast, seeming to know full well that neither of you would eat if not for him.

  
  


… it used to be a dream come true… until it wasn’t.

  
  


You had thought nothing of it when Sans seemed to find another person to talk to, it was good for him to expand his friend group… even if it had hurt a bit to see him laughing at the lunch table with someone else… seeming to have forgotten all about you. 

  
  


But you just marked it off as jealousy and forced yourself to step back and let him do his own thing.

  
  


That seemed to have been the mistake that set off the domino effect… 

  
  


You had known who she was since the beginning. 

  
  


Heather Grace, going into Cosmetology. She’s only been here for a year and she’s already climbed her way to the top of the popularity board with money that isn’t hers and a rich father who’s a famous lawyer that’s honestly good at his job and hasn’t lost a single case his whole career… and you also know her habits of dragging dudes into the girl’s restroom to have steamy sex with them after a few accounts of needed to pee and walking right back out of there after hearing her moans and skin slapping to find a different bathroom… 

  
  


… it truly began when she began taking all his attention and flirting with him… there was never a time when you could just talk to him with her around. Sans had tried to involve you at first, but after a few minutes of being with the two of them, you faded into the background… a shadow… the awkward third wheel…

  
  


… it’s obvious now that she had been doing it on purpose, popping in out of nowhere when you were in the middle of a conversation with Sans to ask for something or just talk to him herself, taking your spot at the lunch table… meeting up with him after classes to walk together… leaving you behind… and he didn’t even seem to notice.

  
  


… then he started leaving you after classes were over to hang out with Heather… leaving you to walk all the way home on your own since he usually shortcutted you both to and from… it really hurt… especially the first time when you sat outside the university for hours waiting for Sans to take you both back home… he didn’t call or text, didn’t say anything about having different plans… he just… left you… and when you finally decided to walk home after getting tired of waiting, you found Sans sitting on the couch with Heather, the two of them chatting away like nothing was wrong…

  
  


You remember him taking a double take when you walked past the two of them, seeming shocked to see you.

  
  


You remember her looking… smug… like this had been her intentions to forget you at the University.

  
  


“h-holy shit, (y/n)! ‘m so sorry! i forgot you were still at the university-!” Sans cut himself off as he looked away from you nervously, sweat beading his brow.

  
  


You remember feeling  _ angry… _ he  _ forgot _ you… and that really hurt… but you bottled it up and just shrugged your shoulders, swallowing the lump in your throat as you left the guilty skeleton and that bitch to get some work done…

  
  
  


After she had left Sans had knocked on your door, saying that he’d make it up to you by taking you to see your favorite movie that was playing that weekend.

  
  


… and surprise, surprise… he ended up taking Heather to the movies instead… and the pain you felt only got worse the further away he drifted…

  
  


It got to a point where Sans was already gone in the mornings or was never there to begin with, leaving you to drive your shitty old car to school and back… you didn’t bother trying to rely on him anymore… all he cared about was Heather. Always walking with her, doing her homework, buying her expensive things because she wanted them, eating with her at lunch… and no time for you, his  _ ‘bestest of best friend’ _ ... 

  
  


All you had left was Papyrus… until you didn’t.

  
  


Just like Sans, Heather took Papyrus from you too. Always at the house, flirting with him like she did Sans, dirtying up everything, leaving shit all over the place, leaving  _ her _ shit all over like she lived there… 

  
  


It was only when the two skeletons decided to invite Heather to live with the three of you without you knowing, that it really got bad for you…

  
  


Sans’ crush on her was as clear as day… and so was Papyrus’s… and she knew about it too, and you watched as she played with them, the two of them so twisted around her finger that they couldn’t see she was using them for their money… but you did, and you weren’t going to stand for it… and it seems that was a mistake too.

  
  


You had pulled Sans aside one night, somehow without alerting Heather, and had told him, had tried to explain what she was doing and how she was using him… and you should have known he wouldn’t believe you, but at the time you had thought because the two of you were best friends, he’d listen to you… and it was a real eye opener when he glared up at you and said, “what’s wrong with you? you need to get over yourself and quit going after heather just because you’re jealous. you're supposed to be my best friend. if you don’t like that we’re all happy together, then just leave!”

  
  
  


… it was a real eye opener all right. Now you knew that she was spreading lies about you to them… and they believed her… and it was then that you finally realized you and Sans weren’t friends anymore… you were in a house full of strangers…

  
  
  


And it was then that you started saving up money so you could get the hell out of there. If Sans doesn’t want to believe you, that’s his problem, you didn’t want to be there when her true colors come out, and the moment you got enough money, you're gone.

  
  
  
  


… it was about 5 months after Heather moved in that the incident happened. She had gone down to the basement and started messing with the machine down there when no one was supposed to… there was a big bang- like an explosion, and then multiple voices yelling and talking… that’s how it all truly turned to shit for you… 

  
  


There were 6 skeletons that came out of the machine that night, which broke from her fucking with it, and out of those 6 skeletons, she managed to ensnare 5 of them; Blue, Stretch, Black, Red, and Edge… and they made your life hell. You just tried to avoid all of them and get through the day without someone yelling at you, calling you shit, trying to make you their delivery person, or blame you for something, you only came out to go to class or use the bathroom, other then that you waited until everyone went to sleep to go grab something to eat or take a shower… you were half way there to being able to get out of this hell hole…

  
  


It had still hurt losing your best friend of three years… and it’s what led you to start smoking weed and drinking… you wanted to make the pain go away, you wanted to forget all the shit they’ve all put you through… and that’s how you ran into Mutt… 

  
  


He was the one skeleton in the small house that didn’t fall for Heather’s lies and didn’t hate you, he just minded his own business and left you alone, which you were grateful for.

  
  


It had been another night that you didn’t bother going back to the house, instead opting to hang out with the druggies in an abandoned building… familiar faces you’ve come to know… you were a bit drunk at that moment, looking completely pathetic as you sat leaning against the bricks of the building… and that’s when Mutt showed up, looking to buy some kind of monster drug off of the druggies… and when he got what he wanted, he seemed almost shocked to see you there when he was looking for a spot to do whatever he was going to do… and to your surprise at the time, he had come over to you and sat down by you, not close enough to touch shoulders, but close enough that you could probably reach out and touch him… it was silent between both of you, Mutt was doing his own thing, pulling out some kind of dog treat from his pocket and lighting it up… and then he spoke.

  
  


“you ok?” 

  
  


It was such a simple question, something that anyone would have probably shrugged at and said they were fine… but it’s been so long since anyone has asked that, so long since anyone seemed like they cared even though he probably didn’t, but the alcohol in your system made the question ten times more emotional for you… maybe if you were sober you could have shrugged it off…

  
  


“N-no…” You croaked out through gritted teeth, trying to stop the tears from falling as the lump in your throat only grew bigger. You tried to wash it down with whatever alcohol you were drinking at the time, maybe burn it out, but a skeletal hand was placed on the bottle, the smooth bone of his hand lightly clinking against the glass as he forced you to lower it with no effort needed, seeing as you were too fucking drunk to fight him.

  
  


“... try this… better than alcohol…” He muttered, passing the lit dog treat to you, helping you by guiding it to your mouth.

  
  


The moment you took a drag from the strange treat and the magic purple smoke filled your lungs… everything seemed to just… slow down… your heart, the blood rushing through your veins, the pain in your chest dimmed… and your mind stopped racing… you felt… you wouldn’t say calm… happy?.... almost numb…

  
  


… “do you need anythin’?... it’s on me this time.” He said softly, pulling the dog treat back so you could blow the smoke out, which you did through your nose as you leaned back against the wall, legs spread out and hands hanging limply in your lap, bottle of booze forgotten beside you, Mutt doing the same and letting his long legs spread out.

  
  


…. “.... A friend…” You whispered as a few tears that were left over dripped down your cheeks, you looked up at the cloudy night sky through the giant hole in the ceiling as the pain dimmed by the dog treat pulsed slightly.

  
  


Mutt seemed to pause, taking another deep inhale of his treat, purple smoke coming out of his nose and eye sockets, before nodding in agreement. “me too…”

  
  


More silence dragged on, the treat occasionally being traded between the two of you as you watched the sky and sometimes turning to watch a particularly interesting person passing by…

  
  


But after awhile, the treat was gone and snuffed out on the concrete…

  
  


“i thought you were all about studyin’ an’ goin’ to college…” He spoke up, glancing over at you before going back to lazily staring at people.

  
  


You gave a humorless laugh at that. “I used to… I needed a way to get rid of the pain.” You whispered, lightly pressing a hand to your chest, and Mutt followed the motion with his tiny eyelights, a look of grim understanding coming to his face as he nodded.

  
  


“your SOUL is cracked an’ scarred…” He looked like he wanted to say more, but he closed his mouth and looked away from your chest. “i know what it’s like…” He whispered, looking like he needed another dog treat, but you didn’t have one, so you passed him the forgotten booze, which he nodded in thanks for, taking a few big gulps before passing it back and wiping his teeth with the sleeve of his parka…

  
  


…. “i‘ll tell you what happened to me if you tell me what happened to you.” Mutt said so quietly that you almost didn’t hear…

  
  


… you had nothing left to lose, so you told him everything, from how you and Sans used to be joined at the hips, to how he can’t stand breathing the same air as you now, how Heather ruined your life, and how the other skeletons only made it worse.

  
  


And in return, Mutt shared with you the hardships of the Underground, how he was basically his brother’s slave, earn boy, hitman, and punching bag, which is how he got his gold tooth… how everything was his fault and no matter how hard he tried or how perfect he did something, his brother always found something wrong with it and constantly reminded him that he would never amount to anything, and how he was nothing without his brother…

  
  
  
  


The two of you bonded over your battered and broken SOULs that night and began a desperately needed friendship between the two of you, helping each other and sticking together, being there for each other when Black tore Mutt down or when one of the others tore you down… you were there for each other… almost joined at the hips like you and Sans used to be… but better.

  
  


Of course, everyone tried to separate both of you, Mutt’s brother threatening both of you with broken bones and mysterious disappearances if you didn’t stop being friends, the other skeletons sneering at you and Mutt whenever they see you both together, and Heather trying to spread more horrible rumors about you everywhere and sometimes telling these lies straight to Mutt’s face or getting one of the others to tell them to Mutt, and using the other skeletons to threaten you… but nothing could stop the two of you.

  
  
  
  
  
  


… which is why it hurt when you had to leave. It had finally gotten to be too much, and you almost had enough money to leave, but you couldn’t wait any longer… it was the last straw.

  
  


Some dude had been caught walking out of the house, and when questioned, Heather had said that it was you who brought him in for a late night booty call, and said that you always bring in men like the whore you are…

  
  


**_And they fucking believed it._ **

  
  


It hurt. It hurt so bad. Mutt tried to defend you, but Heather’s word was law in this house… not even your ex-best friend had a sliver of doubt that you were just a cheap whore, despite the three years you spent together… they all looked at you like you were the lowest scum on the earth, sneered at you… and then Black made the comment that, “OF COURSE THAT’S HOW IT GOT THE MUTT TO STAY LOYAL TO IT. THE FILTHY CREATURE IS FUCKING MY WORTHLESS BROTHER!” 

  
  


And Heather was quick to agree, vigorously nodding her head. “I saw them do it! When she’s not with other men, she’s with Mutt. I tried to tell him, but he can’t shake her off!”

  
  


… and then everyone looked at Mutt with pity, like you were some evil mastermind that brainwashed him and forced him under your foot… 

  
  


… You couldn’t take it anymore… “Shut the fuck up.” You ground out as you clenched your fists, Mutt quickly coming to back you up, standing slightly behind you and placing his hand on your shoulder, seeming ready to ‘port you both out of there if it got ugly.

  
  


“What did you just say, Whore?” Heather sneered, seeming offended.

  
  


“I’m so fucking tired of this shit! I’ve put up with this for too long! I’ve kept quiet! I’ve not done anything to any of you! But I’m fucking tired of being blamed for all the shit that this stupid bitch does-!” 

  
  


“HEY! WATCH YOUR MOUTH! DON’T CALL PRINCESS THAT!” Blue interrupts, Red and Black taking a threatening step forwards, but you didn’t give a shit anymore! You need to get this off your chest!

  
  


“I didn’t say anything when I was blamed for destroying Papyrus’s action figures! I didn’t say anything when I was blamed for destroying Edge’s high heel boot! I didn’t say anything when I was blamed for the scratch on the side of Blue’s motorcycle! I didn’t say a fucking  _ word _ when you fuckers blamed me for the house being trashed after this stupid bitch threw a frat party! But I’m fucking done! This is the last straw! I  _ will not  _ stand here any longer and be called a whore when this bitch’s breath smells like dick and STDs!” 

  
  


You took a deep breath, knowing your face was flushed red from the lack of breathing and how angry you were. But you were done. Done with all this shit. Done with all of them.

  
  


“I hope you choke on the next dick you suck, bitch.” You growled as you placed your hand over Mutt’s that was on your shoulder.

  
  


She was gaping like a fish, like she couldn’t believe you said that… and then her face turned red and her face scrunched up in a scowl. “She just threatened me! She’s going to kill me!” She cried out, being over dramatic and pulling out the crocodile tears and covering her mouth with her hands, looking scared as she took a step back.

  
  


You roll your eyes at this, a faint smile coming to your face when Mutt quietly chuckles behind you. “Not even denying it.” 

  
  


The other skeletons were now creating a protective circle around the fake bitch, Blue and Papyrus trying to  _ ‘calm her down’ _ and she wailed and clutched onto them… but you could see them discreetly trying to smell her breath to see if what you said was true.

  
  


Then you turned to Sans, who was glaring at you with empty eye sockets. “And you… I wish I had never met you. For being a so-called,  _ ‘Judge’ _ , you’re awfully blind to who’s lying to you and who was just trying to protect you… if the timeline resets, I hope I never see your face again, because I will not forget the shit you’ve put me through.” You sneered, glaring deep into his empty sockets… and he felt like he himself was being judged. 

  
  


He looked almost hurt by your words. Good.

  
  
  
  
  


No one bothered Mutt and you when the two of you went up to your room, the two of you sharing a dog treat, leaning against each other by the open window. You explained that you couldn’t handle it anymore and was going to leave tonight, since you already had it figured that you’d be kicked out anyways with how you insulted everyone and  _ ‘threatened’ _ Heather… 

  
  


Mutt had nodded, seeming sad even with the dog treat’s effects in place… 

  
  


… “You should come with me. No more Black. No more Heather… No more assholes looking down on us… we’d just disappear… just the two of us being crackheads in some random alleyway. Sounds like fun, right?” You softly presented, snickering at your own joke and feeling Mutt’s shoulders bouncing against you… before he sighed.

  
  


“i wanna… i really do… but my bro would track me down if ‘m gone for more then two days at a time… and he’d probably drag us both back here… and i don’t even want to think ‘bout what he’d do to you.” He gave a shaky sigh and took another drag from the dog treat to calm himself.

  
  


… more comfortable silence fell over you both, only the crickets and skeletons shuffling around beyond your door being heard.

  
  


… “You said two days, right?” You began, continuing when he hummed in agreement. “Well, you could come visit me for two days, then ‘port back here before Black starts tracking you down, then once you're in the clear, you can just come back for another two days.” You offered, dragging your dazed eyes from the purple smoke floating around the two of you, and locked onto the lanky skeleton, who was taking another puff of the treat, really seeming to think this over as his bone-brows furrowed and his phalanges not holding the magic treat coming up to scratch the side of his jaw… before he gave a stupid smile.

  
  


“seems awfully tedious and tiresome for someone lazy like me.” He jokes, laying his lanky body over your head and shoulders, trying to put as much weight on you as he could, which wasn’t much seeing as he was a skeleton, and that only made you laugh as you poked a finger through two of his ribs through his sweater, causing him to jolt off of you, staring at you with mocked offense.

  
  


… you both fell back into comfortable silence after that, but it ended faster than before.

  
  


“I’ll text you when I’m in a place. I don’t know how long it’ll take, but I’ll find a place… but Mutt…” You started, gaining his attention back by the sound of his name. “You have to promise me that when I find a place and send you the address, you won’t let anyone else know where I am, not even your brother, ok?” 

  
  


He shifted into a more serious attitude when you said the word ‘promise’. “you know i don’t like promises…” He tried, putting the dog treat down in the ashtray that sat on the window sill.

  
  


“You have to, Mutt… if you can’t promise me this, I can’t ever tell you where I live. I don’t need one of these skeletons deciding they want revenge for what I said to Heather… I need peace…” You whispered, your shoulders sagging in at the thought of all this shit following you when you leave tonight.

  
  
  


….. “i promise.” He said after a while, turning to look you in the eye from where he was staring up at the stars.

  
  


A faint smile tugged at your lip, a weight being taken from your shoulders knowing he would do this for you.

  
  
  


… “Thank you… save me a dog treat, will you?”

  
  
  
  
  
  


Which is how you got to where you are now, quietly packing up as much of your stuff as you could as quickly as you could, not wanting any of the night owls to wake up and find you leaving…

  
  


Then you found a picture in the darkest corner of your closet… a picture of Sans, Papyrus, and you when everything was still fine and it was just the three of you… back when you still considered them as friends…

  
  


………. You dropped the picture on the ground and kicked it over to where your old picture album was that held similar pictures like that, and zipped up your overfilled suitcase, grabbing your keys, phone, charger, and wallet before peeking out into the hallway and feeling your shoulders sag in relief when you found no one and just an empty hallway and living room. You left your room a mess of scattered clothes and belongings that couldn’t fit in the suitcase as you silently crept towards the door, carrying the suitcase so it wouldn’t make any noise, passing sleeping skeletons who have taken residence on the air mattresses and the couch…. Well, it’s one of their lucky days, they’ll throw out your stuff like everyday trash and someone will get your old room…

  
  


… just as you reached the door, you turned your head to look back, and seen Mutt watching you from the hallway… he slowly waved you goodbye, looking like he was at a funeral, before he pulled a dog treat out of his pocket and waved it a bit… looks like he already picked out your dog treat…

  
  


With a final nod, you opened the door and took your first step to a new, better, life.

  
  


You walked down the driveway to your old busted up car and popped the trunk, tossing your luggage in, you shut the trunk as quietly as you could before hopping into the driver's seat and starting up the engine, having to try a few times before it actually started up… and when you looked up, you found Mutt sitting on the porch smoking a dog treat… dear god he looked like a puppy being left alone at home for the first time… but you’ll see him again once you find a place for rent that’s cheap…

  
  
  
  


So with that, you put the car in reverse and back out of the driveway, before switching it back to drive and making your way down the street… until you were out of sight and disappeared into the night.

  
  
  
  



	2. It’s never felt so... empty...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .... she didn’t even say goodbye...

  
  


It wasn’t until the next morning- or should I say, afternoon, that the skeletons finally found out that the hated woman of the house was gone…

  
  


Red had come banging on her door when he woke up, demanding she open the fucking door so he could teach her a lesson… but no response… and it wasn’t until he lost his temper and busted down the door that he realized she wasn’t there… some clothes were missing as well as some of her stuff, along with her phone, keys, wallet, and charger… she was gone.

  
  


“fuck- uh… classic?! get yer ass over here!” Red angrily called, glaring around the room. It didn’t take but a few moments for the classic Sans to shortcut outside the door.

  
  


“what?... it’s only two in the afternoon…” He original skeleton yawned, scratching at his spine through his shirt.

  
  


“she’s gone!” Red exclaimed, kicking at some stray clothes that was near his bare foot.

  
  


“... what..?” Classic finally opened his eye sockets and took in the sight of the room… (Y/n) was gone?

  
  


“the bitch musta snuck out in da middle of da night! she packed up what she needed and left! that fuckin’ coward!” The sharp toothed skeleton sneered.

  
  


… she actually left?... just like that? No warning, no goodbye, no nothing… the human he’s known since they both got into college… just packed up and left… and it looked like she was in a rush to leave too.

  
  


His chest felt tight knowing she left without even saying goodbye to him… sure, they weren’t on the best of terms anymore… but still… they’ve known each other for so long…

  
  
  
  


It seemed that Red’s shouting drew the attention of the others, the other skeletons coming to see what all the commotion was about… yet oddly enough, Mutt wasn’t in the crowd. Him and (Y/n) seemed to be close nowadays ~~and just last night he found out that they’ve been fucking~~ , and yet he wasn’t there to see that she was gone…

  
  


Classic was stuck in the doorway, seeing as Black, Edge, Stretch, Blue, and his brother were crowding in the hallway to look inside… and now that he thinks about it, he hasn’t been inside (Y/n)’s room in forever… it’s changed since he’s last been in here. The pictures of Papyrus and him no longer hung on the walls, the posters of games and movies she loved having no evidence of being there other than the small holes where the tacks used to be, all the drawings she used to have scattered on her desk missing… and if the dust gathering on its surface was anything to go by, they’ve been missing for a long time…

  
  


Before that thought could go any further, Red started throwing a fit.

  
  


“i can’t fuckin’ believe this! she threatens my sweetheart! she insults her! she insults all of us! and then she just dips?!” Red was fuming at this point, his fists clenching and unclenching, his eyelights seeming to be looking for something to break- and his eyelights locked onto her dresser, so with an angry noise, he wrapped his arms around the furniture and began to pick it up- only to be stopped by Edge, who shoved his way into the room and grabbed hold of Red’s hood.

  
  


“STOP THAT AT ONCE! IT WILL DO YOU NO GOOD TO DESTROY PERFECTLY GOOD FURNITURE. I AM ANGRY AS WELL FOR THAT WRETCH’S COWARDLINESS, BUT THIS IS NOT THE SOLUTION.” Edge reasoned, dragging his frustrated brother away from anything he could destroy.

  
  


“YES, I WOULD HAVE TO AGREE! THIS IS A TIME FOR CELEBRATION! DESPITE IT’S COWARDLINESS, IT HAS RID ITSELF OF OUR HOME AT LAST! AND MY BROTHER WILL NO LONGER HAVE ANY REASON TO FALL FOR IT’S TRICKS!” Black laughed in triumph before taking a glance around, his grin falling. “WHERE IS MY WORTHLESS BROTHER ANYWAYS?” 

  
  


“PROBABLY SLEEPING THE DAY AWAY LIKE THE LAZY SACK OF BONES HE IS.” Edge commented offhandedly, still seeming to be investigating the room for something.

  
  


“AH YES, OF COURSE. I MUST GO TELL HIM THE GOOD NEWS!” Black was gone just like that, seeming in a good mood.

  
  


… then Heather arrived from Classic’s room, in nothing but skimpy panties and a tight fit shirt, her’s and Classic’s activities last night being evident on her neck in the shape of bite marks.

  
  


And everyone was drooling after her when she stepped into (Y/n)’s roo- _old room_ , brushing against any skeleton she could. She seemed to scoff at what she saw, not seeming impressed in the slightest. “So she finally realized she wasn’t welcome here. Took her long enough.” She sneered as she looked down at something.

Her words left a bad taste in Papyrus’s and Classic’s mouth.

  
  


It was only when she picked it up that Classic saw what it was… it was the picture Paps, him, and (Y/n) took after going to his and Pap’s first carnival…

  
  


… his chest felt a little tighter knowing that picture wasn’t important enough to take with her.

  
  


But then it felt like his SOUL froze and his breath hitched when Heather ripped the picture in two and crumbled it up before tossing it on the ground… and all he could do was stare at it.

  
  


“I think we should burn everything that’s in here. It reeks of cheap whore.” Heather scrunched up her nose as she walked out, going into the living room where Stretch and Blue followed after her.

  
  


“YES! A PERFECT IDEA!” Edge chimed in as he dragged his drooling brother into the living room as well.

  
  


… it was only Classic and his brother in the room now, neither of them noticing that they had both fully stepped into the room for the first time in years… 

  
  


Classic kneeled in front of the two crumbled pieces of the picture… and found an entire album of all their adventures and life together, even the ones that used to hang on the wall… 

  
  


“She Just… Left So Suddenly….” Papyrus began, clearing his throat as he sat down on her unmade bed, which squeaked with age, looking around the destroyed room like he couldn’t believe she was actually gone… “I Thought We Were Close? Brother, Were We Not As Close As I Had Thought We Were? I Know What Heather Said Last Night Was Harsh And I Don’t Entirely Agree With Her Way Of Asking Her To Not Bring Her Partners Into The House… But Were We So Distant From Each Other That She Couldn’t Come To Us…?” Papyrus trailed off…

  
  


… Classic didn’t have an answer for that…. he can honestly remember a time where they were all joined at the hips and told each other everything… and then they weren’t… What changed?

  
  


…. He really thought about it as he held the ripped up picture in one hand and had the album book open on his thigh, flipping through the pages of memories with his other hand.

  
  


… he remembers meeting Heather… then (Y/n) slowly but surely drifting away, he remembers accidentally forgetting her at the University and her just deciding to take her crap car instead… he remembers talking with Heather about it and her telling him it was a girl thing and that she was just jealous of what they had… and then he remembers (Y/n) accusing Heather of using him for his money and how he got so angry with her for saying such a thing- for getting jealous of him and Heather… and then they truly quit talking to each other and she started doing bad shit around the house and messing things up… though… he never actually seen her do any of it.

  
  


“heh… guess not, bro…”

  
  


“She Didn’t Even Say Goodbye- Not Even A Note… Was I Truly That Bad Of A friend?” Papyrus questioned himself, trying to think back on what he did wrong… 

  
  


Classic was quick to answer. “nah bro, you were a great friend… guess she couldn’t handle your greatness anymore.”

  
  


… but saying that didn’t seem to make him feel any better. “If Being This Great Means I Lose My Friends, I Do Not Wish To Be Great Anymore…” Papyrus whispered as he stared down at the picture album in Classic’s lap.

  
  
  
  


Neither of them seen Mutt glaring at them from the doorway, who wanted so badly to tell them why she left since neither of them seemed to get it, to tell them that it was their fault, that _they’re_ the ones who pushed her away, and that they started her downfall into alcohol and drugs and possibly suicide… but Heather would just brainwash them again, make them think it was all just (Y/n)’s fault…

  
  


… maybe he should have taken her up on her offer to come with her. They could both be on the run from his brother and the rest of them if they came sniffing around for them… but instead, he ‘ported back to the front porch, staring at the empty space where her car used to be, waiting for when his human found a place for rent and sent him the address so he could come see her and get out of this hellhole.

  
  


His brother had come barging out the front door when he was in the middle of his sulking about (Y/n) being gone and smoking another treat to keep him from diving into depressive thoughts. Black had gone on and on about how his pitiful mind was finally free from that creature’s clutches and how **_it_ ** won’t be messing things up and destroying things anymore… 

  
  


And despite how much he wanted to snap at his brother for calling (Y/n) an _it_ and a _creature…_ he couldn’t wait until Heather could no longer blame (Y/n) for scratching and bumping into the other’s cars or blame her for bringing men into the house, or blame her for throwing frat parties in the house while everyone is gone… he can’t wait…

  
  
  
  
  


The house went on fairly normal after (Y/n) suddenly disappeared. They threw away all her stuff that she left behind, seeing that she wouldn’t be coming back for any of it, and at Heather’s insistence, _everything_ that was once hers was thrown out, even furniture… Yet when they came in to do what Heather had said, the skeletons found the mattress, sheets, blankets, and pillows missing… but eventually shrugged it off as one of the lazier skeletons ‘porting it to a dump or into the void.

  
  


Of course, Mutt was guilty of sneaking in and taking a few things here and there when no one was looking… hiding them in secret places no one would find, but Classic and Papyrus we’re also guilty of doing it when they found something that held meaning to them, like a shirt she used to wear all the time or a trophy they were there to see her earn… or one of Papyrus’s action figures that he smashed and threw away because Heather said it was too childish… it was glued back together and standing on her old desk… or that picture album (Y/n) left behind... neither of the two knew why they suddenly had the compulsive need to horde the stuff of their ex-friend… but they couldn’t stop themselves from taking things and hiding it all in their rooms.

  
  


… Edge had moved into the room once it was cleared out, and no one had any problems with it.

  
  
  
  
  


When that girl left, Stretch was expecting to see more of Mutt and maybe get to know him more, seeing as they were both close alternates of each other… but he was still as elusive as ever, maybe even more so now that that girl isn’t there for him to follow around… and when he did see the darker skeleton, he looked worn down and ready to fall over and didn’t talk to anybody- even ignoring Heather when she tried to say something to him... Stretch just doesn’t understand what Mutt saw in that girl, he had heard plenty of bad stuff about her from Heather to know that she’s bad news… yet no matter what his alternate heard, he didn’t seem to care or just didn’t believe it… 

  
  


He himself hadn’t really seen much of the girl before she left, seeing that she was never out when everyone else was, but he glared at her anytime he did see her, having learned from Heather that it was that girl who had sex with a random human on his brother’s air mattress.

  
  


He was glad she was gone. No one liked her anyways.

  
  
  
  
  


_It was only two months after (Y/n) left that things were beginning to not add up…_

  
  


Things that used to be (Y/n)’s fault were still happening… scratches and bumps were still being made in the skeleton’s cars and Blue’s motorcycle was still being knocked on its side… and the smell of sex and unknown males was still in the house, though no one ever seen them…. doubt was slowly spreading throughout the small house as the months dragged on... but no one said a word after Blue brought it up to Heather about the smell and she got angry with him, saying that if he was going to accuse her of sleeping with other men, then she’ll just pack up her things and leave...

She’s not really in the house anymore, saying that she’s either going shopping with her girl friends or going out for a walk... _and the smell went away too..._

  
  
  
  


Classic found himself having frequent nightmares and an ache in his SOUL that just wouldn’t go away. He’d find himself standing outside (Y/n)’s old room in the dead of night, the ache only seeming to get worse when he did that, remembering that room now belonged to Edge… Heather had stopped sleeping in his bed after the second time he woke her up with his loud whimpering and rattling… leaving him to deal with his nightmares alone… 

**_(Y/n) wasn’t there to comfort him anymore.  
_ **

  
  
  
He’d find himself awake in the dead of night, his ex-friend’s words replaying in his mind on repeat as he tries to figure out what she meant... he had already figured out that Mutt told her about the timelines, resets and how some of them were Judges, those two were _close_ after all... it’s obvious to him now that she had planned to leave that night, seeing as she got everything off her chest and argued with Heather... something she never did before...

and on nights like that, he finds himself wishing he had stepped in to maybe stop the argument from ever taking place... and that maybe she’d still be here if he had.

  
  


He’s caught himself wondering where she went and if she was ok…

  
  


And it seemed that he wasn’t the only one. It seemed that his brother was a little distracted as well, he’d find Papyrus staring at the empty seat at the end of the table where no one sat... even though she never did come down to eat with them all after the first few dinners they all spent together, it was the thought that she was still there that kept them from thinking too hard about it... but now that they knew she was really gone... that seat never seemed so empty before... 

  
  


Papyrus no longer got to at least _see_ his friend in the mornings, since she was no longer here to get up and go to the University... no more of her sleepy shuffling footsteps as she drags herself to the door, no more jingling of her keys as she stuffs them in her pocket, no more gently shut doors as she leaves, no more hearing the faint sound of her ghastly little car attempting to start up and eventually driving away to go to class... 

No more seeing her doing her laundry in the garage, where the washer and dryer were since there wasn’t enough room in the actual house... no more seeing her move between the bathroom and her room. No more seeing her sometimes sneak into the kitchen in the dead of night to fix herself something to eat when he couldn’t sleep... 

Classic and Papyrus never realized how little they seen their friend until she wasn’t there at all... she was like a ghost when she was still there... but why? Sure, some of the skeletons showed their obvious dislike towards her, but that can’t be the reason... 

  
  


_... But neither of them would ever know the answer because neither skeleton ever took the time out of their day to check on her... and they both knew that..._

  
  


Classic could see his brother’s depression as clear as day, having depression himself... not even Heather could cheer him up...

He could see his brother sometimes looking out the window, like he was waiting to see their human friend’s dingy old car come creeping into the driveway... hoping she’d come home...

**_... But nobody came._ **

It was a year after (Y/n) left that she said she wanted to move into a bigger house, saying that this one was too small and was falling apart... the others agreed with her, but Classic and Papyrus were hesitant.

This little house has been his and Papyrus’s home for over four years now. It held great memories and a sense of comfort... and it reminded him of the days where Papyrus, (Y/n), and him would sit around having movie marathons and playing games together... he didn’t want to leave his home... 

  
  


~~What if (Y/n) decided to come back and found the house empty?~~

... But he eventually caved when Heather quit talking to him and threatened to leave and never come back ~~he didn’t want to lose her too~~ , and with the others ganging up on him, he started looking for a bigger house... eventually settling on buying out a three story mansion at Heather’s insistence...

  
  


When they finally got all moved in... it just didn’t feel like home...

A year passed since they moved into the mansion, and everyone had come down for dinner one night, most the skeletons conversing among themselves- though Heather was always involved, either because the others added her, or because she butted in- 

-When suddenly all attention was drawn off Heather to Mutt, who had shot out of his chair, nearly choking on his dinner and clutching onto his phone with disbelieving excitement, his small eyelights the brightest anyone has ever seen on him, his sockets scrunched up from the giant grin pulled on his teeth... he looked close to tears... it was the happiest any of them have ever seen him since (Y/n) left... 

And everyone was curious to know why, Black already opening his mouth to question his brother and trying to take a peek at the screen, but Mutt was already shortcutting away, the sound of things falling over and stumbling could be heard above them, which happened to be Mutt’s room, before a door slammed and fast footsteps came stomping down the stairs, in Mutt’s excitement forgetting he could shortcut as he ran past the dining room with his arms full of things, his long legs taking him towards the front door and making it nearly impossible to see what he was holding onto.

Black had snapped out of his surprise before any of them, standing up from his seat and yelling at his brother to come back.

”MUTT, YOU WORTHLESS SACK OF BONES! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW AND SIT DOWN! THAT’S AN ORDER!” He shrilly shrieked as he slammed his fist onto the table, only for his mouth to gape when the front door slammed shut, either his brother ignored him or didn’t hear him, but that is unacceptable!   
  


As Black shoved back his chair and went chasing after his brother, Classic could only continue to stare in shock at the spot outside the dinning room entrance where Mutt had run by...

While the others slowly began to go back to conversing, Mutt now being the main topic of interest... Classic just couldn’t move, his eyelights completely void from his sockets, his body frozen leaning against the back of his chair.

He was the closest to the entryway, so he got a good look at what Mutt had been carrying, which in his excitement, he forgot to hide... 

  
  


_Some of (Y/n)’s stuff..._   
  


**_Mutt knew where she was..._ **


	3. ... sinking... deeper and deeper...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ... Sinking down, down, down. 
> 
> Darker, darker and darker. 
> 
> ... No way up.

... life has never been fair... it chooses favorites and leaves behind the ones who will never atone to anything...

  
  


You are not one of it’s favorites.

The night you left, you didn’t sleep. It was spent in an abandoned parking lot, searching for a house or an apartment up for rent and thinking about Mutt...

With the little amount of money you had to your name, you needed something cheap, like _dirt cheap_ \- it didn’t matter the quality of it, you just needed somewhere to stay... But no matter how far you looked, nothing was in your price range...  
  
  


... You ended up driving to the next town over, hoping maybe you’d get a different results... but no luck.

After a week of sleeping in your ratty old car, eating the cheapest convenient store food, relying on their bathrooms, and still not a hint of cheap housing anywhere... you were losing hope and began sinking into some form of depression... you got wasted in the backseat of your car, drinking away your limited money, problems, and worries with cheap booze.

_‘... I really am pathetic...’_ You couldn’t help but realize in your drunken haze as you lay sprawled out in the back seat of your car, the seats feeling lumpy and hard from old age as the glass bottle hang loosely in your hand on the floorboard, surrounded by a few different bottles. _‘it only took me a week to go back to drinking...’_

... the next morning you woke up, it was with a massive headache and depressive thoughts that came back ten times worse... god... you really are a slob... a filthy drunk...

You went back to searching once you got most of your bearings, promising to yourself that you wouldn’t touch so much as a drop of booze while you are struggling like this. Going as far as to hop over another town to hopefully find a place.

But still no luck...

You wonder how Mutt’s doing... you’d text him if you could, but you don’t have anymore data to spare without having to pay extra... you hope he’s ok and nobody ganged up on him... it’ll all be fine once you find a place to stay and are able to pay for more data.

A month into living in your dingy old car, you began to truly lose hope... and develop some serious back pains. You’ve been relying on public showers and convenient stores this entire time and it’s really taking its toll on your wallet... you’ve been all around the towns and cities surrounding Ebott City, hoping maybe you could have found a home close by so Mutt wouldn’t have to use too much energy going to and from... but it looks like you’ll have to go further out... and those liquor stores are looking more tempting as the days go by...

_Two months_. Nothing.

_Three months_... nothing.

_Four months_... you bought more liquor, breaking your promise to yourself, drinking until you were vomiting in an empty parking lot, being flooded with self-hating thoughts as you drank more, hoping it would make it all go away... and the deeper you sank, the harder it was to block out your thoughts... you wondered what life would have been like if you had never met the skeleton who betrayed your trust... _would you still be in collage? Would you be healthy? Would you have a job? Would you be living in a nice home? Would you have made better friends who wouldn’t turn their backs on you just to get their dicks wet?_... but then you thought about how lonely Mutt would be...

You woke up with another massive headache that nearly made you vomit, having passed out slumped against the side of your car... heh, guess you didn’t quite make it in...

_Five months_... you’re hardy sober anymore, everyday is spent with a pounding headache, only moving between liquor stores and your car, buying enough alcohol to make anyone look at you like you were crazy... the cashiers know you by your face now, some giving you looks of pity or disgust from how much they see you in the store... one of the owners even gave you a card that had the number of a rehab center on it... heh... as if you were going to stop... you’ve stopped looking for places to stay... what good would it do you?...

_Six months_... you’re running out of money to fuel your addiction... constantly trying to scrap money together to buy more alcohol... but it’s getting harder and harder...

... _Seven months_... you don’t know why you’re still trying... you don’t have the money to even buy the cheapest booze in any of the stores, now you just sleep all day, trying to sleep off the hunger and crave for something to make the pain go away... there’s no reason to stay awake anyways... it’s not like you have anywhere to be or anyone to see...

_Eight months_... you wonder if you should have just stayed with the skeletons and sucked it up... maybe then you’d still be in college and have enough money to buy something that’d make the pain go away... you wonder if you should have just accepted the blame for everything... it would have been hard and it would have hurt, but at least you’d still be with Mutt and wouldn’t be scrounging for food and worrying about where you’d get the motivation to do anything...

_Nine months_... you’re broke... you’re hungry... you’ve had to sell some of your stuff in pawn shops just to eat for the night.... you’ve been considering delving in the illegal side of life to make money... sell some drugs and other things people can’t normally get ahold of... sell... your body...  
  


But you aren’t desperate enough to do that ~~yet~~... 

_Ten months_... you’re just so tired... and you find yourself wondering... was anyone sad when you left?... did they even care? Even just a bit?... have they already forgotten you?... would anymore really even care if you just... didn’t wake up?... Fuck... you can barely get up anymore... they were probably all happy when you left... probably threw a celebratory party........... it would probably take someone a couple of months to find your body... because nobody cares...

_Eleven months_... you gathered all the motivation and strength to get up and find a job, deciding you’ll probably never find a place to stay, so you can’t stick to your original plan of waiting until you find a place to stay before getting a job... You managed to find a place that was hiring... next week you’ll start working full-time at a convenient store. Monday to Friday, with your off days being Saturday and Sunday. The pay was $10 an hour... heh, how ironic is that? You’ve been living off convenient stores for forever, and now you work at one?... Mutt would find it funny... Of course, the pay wasn’t _great_ , but it was better then nothing. ~~No where else would hire you.~~

_Twelve months_... things are... actually starting to look up. You’re still living in your car, but you’re making money, which you’re saving up again for emergencies or if a cheap house or apartment pops up for rent... you stay to yourself at work, which was fine, it seems that your coworkers aren’t too keen on making friends either... You work all the days you can to keep yourself occupied and busy, having nothing better to do... your heart doesn’t feel as heavy when your at work, since there’s no time to let your mind wonder... this is good...

_One year, four month_... You wonder how Mutt’s doing... you wonder if he’s given up hope on you or if he’s still waiting for that text... you wonder if Heather still has controls the house or if they’ve finally opened their eye sockets and seen what she really is. Heh, you doubt it... you hope Mutt is ok without you. You hope he isn’t being bullied... you hope he’s having a better time then what you’ve been had to go through ~~put yourself through~~...

_One year, six months_... you found a cheap apartment. It was tiny and in the bad side of the city, but it was cheap and it better then restless nights in your car, so you jumped on it faster then you would a bottle of booze, surprising the owner when you responded so fast for the apartment, of course, he was a shady man, but you weren’t going to let this place pass you by. $250.00 a month is the cheapest you’ve seen! And they didn’t ask any questions or requirements! One bedroom, one bathroom, a small living room, and a small kitchen... it was old... there were unidentifiable stains on the ceiling, floor, and walls, there were holes in the wall from the last people who lived there, and the air conditioning didn’t work half the time... but it was your home now...

You moved in that same day, seeing that nothing was stopping you and you didn’t really have anything but the suitcase that’s been collecting dust in the trunk of your car, and with the some of the money you’ve made, you drove to the nearest store and bought a pillow and a few blankets, seeing that you’ll be sleeping on the floor until you’re able to get ahold of a couch or a bed- or maybe even afuton... but that’ll be for awhile... but it felt nice to stretch out after over a year of sleeping cramped in the backseat of a car, even if the ground was hard on your body.

It felt almost unreal taking a shower in _your_ new home after you went back to the store to buy some shampoo, soap, and conditioner. Sure the water pressure was shit, but the privacy was a blessing in itself. There was just somethings about it all being _yours_ and nobody else’s. You don’t have to share this place with anyone, you get to have the privacy you never had with those skeletons... you won’t have to wait to take a shower, you won’t ever have to watch out for any roommates, you won’t be tense in your own home and feel like you’re walking on eggshells... this is your home, and only yours.

You feel... _proud_ of yourself...

... it felt like you were taking your first breath of fresh air after so long of suffocating...

_One year, seven months_... it didn’t take long for you to find out you lived next to a drug dealer... and it seemed that he had a wide variety of options to pick from... things you haven’t had since you left the toxicity of the skeleton household... but you knew that it’d fuck everything up for you if you fell back into your old habits... but sometimes you find yourself thinking about how good it all made you feel...

You managed to resist, and instead, spent your money on buying more alcohol to get drunk off your ass...

_One year, nine months_... you aren’t proud of yourself... but it seemed that during one of your black out drunk moments, you ended up buying some kind of drug- and the reason you don’t know what it is, is because it was _Monster_ drugs, and the reason you knew that they were Monster drugs, was because it was _glowing_... a small baggie of blue glowing pills, maybe five of them in there... and the more you looked at the bag, the more tempted you were to just... swallow one... just one... whats the worse that could happen?

... you eventually gave in ~~it only took a week~~ and opened the bag... you only pulled out one, since you weren’t stupid enough to pop all of them at once... and... it felt like you were floating... everything seemed to brighten, you felt like everything in the world was going to be ok- that it _was_ ok.

You forgot all the burdens that ever weighed you down, you forgot all about your worries and problems... and you began to see things... like little balls of light dancing all around the living room... things were changing colors and move- not like moving across the room or anything, more like objects were gently bouncing and swaying...

... the effects seemed to last well over an hour... but when the effects wore off... it hit **hard**.

One moment you’re smiling and feeling like you’re floating without a care in the world... and then the next... you're convulsing and seizing on the floor...

_Two years, two months_... you finally got a couch, a tv stand, and a tv stand over the course of a few months. All of which you got dirt cheap during discount sales...

... and after that unpleasant incident with those pills you now call the _‘Happy Pills’_ , you haven’t taken anymore... but stuck them in the back of one of the kitchen cabinets... just in case you have a really bad day and are in desperate need for an instant fix... but you haven’t gotten that desperate yet. ~~.. the feelings that one pill gave you was addictive...~~

... but you felt excited today...

Today was the day.

Today you’ll finally send your address to Mutt. ~~There’s that nagging part in the back of your mind that he might have gotten a new phone or a new number.~~

You cleaned up the place the best you could and it was the first of your two days off, so it was perfect! ~~The only real trash you had was throwing out all the empty booze bottles.~~

... Your hands felt shaky as you pressed Mutt’s contact for the first time in forever and began typing the address...

It was time!

Mutt had no fucking clue where he was running to at the moment. All he could think about was getting to his friend. Getting to (Y/n)... but that didn’t really mean he was running in the right direction.

And it also didn’t help that his brother was hot on his trail, trying to order him to stop.

”IF YOU DON’T STOP RIGHT NOW I’LL MAKE YOU REGRET IGNORING ME THE MOMENT I CATCH YOU, YOU STUPID MUTT!“ His brother screeched, his face flushed purple in anger... oh he knew he’d have hell to pay when he comes back, but he didn’t care. All he cared about right now was seeing his best friend.

There was something no one knew. Mutt might be lazy and refuse to do anything if he didn’t have to, but when push came to shove, he could outrun all his alternates, including the exercise crazy skeletons, and his brother was no exception.

And right now was one of those moments.

Mutt quickened his pace, his body leaning forward a bit with the new speed and his arms tightening around the precious items he was holding so he didn’t drop anything, and he could hear his brother sputtering behind him, probably trying to push himself to go faster, but Mutt knew that Black’s short legs couldn’t keep up with his long ones.

And it wasn’t long before he could hear his brother’s frustrated screaming fading in the distance.

... Of course, there was that small voice in the back of his mind that was panicking about disobeying his brother when he was this angry and how scared he was about returning... 

But he quickly silenced that voice, not caring about the consequences at the moment. All he cared about was (Y/n)... he’ll deal with whatever his brother had in store for him when the time comes.

Mutt panted as he slowed to a walk, feeling confident enough that he lost his brother, and leaned against a brick wall, shifting the stuff in his arms to one arm and fished his phone out with the other, taking a better look at the address she sent him now that he wasn’t in the presence of nosey skeletons and not being chased down by Black.

... she was quite a ways out, not really near Ebott City... but he remembers having to go somewhere near there once when he was running an errand for his brother, and for once in his life, he thanked Black for sending him out that far.

So with that, he sucked in an unnecessary breath, focused on the street he remembers going to... and he ‘ported. His feet leaving the ground for only a split second, all sound vanishing, and the air turning ice cold- before it was back to normal, his feet firmly planted on the ground, the loud city noise coming back with a vengeance, and the wind gently blowing.

The address led him to a rundown looking apartment complex in the bad side of the city, sketchy humans and monsters alike eyeing him as they passed him, some in the alleyway next to the complex doing illegal shit, people arguing with each other... but he didn’t care about any of that... He was so close.

There was no person up front to stop him as he ran into the building and stumbled up the stairs, since there was no elevator, and jogged down the hallway of the second floor.

_Apartment 103_

_Apartment 104_

_Apartment 105_

_Apartment 106_

_.... **Apartment 107**_

_..._ Mutt was shaking as he stared at the door, either from excitement or nerves, he didn’t know... probably both, but he couldn’t stop... so many thoughts crossed his mind as he stared at the door...

_Has she changed? Is she still the same? Has anything life changing happened? What if she’s not doing ok? What if she’s dying and she wanted to see him before she dies?! Will she recognize him?_

Of course she’ll remember him! That was a stupid thought... but what if she is dying?

... slowly, Mutt brought his hand up... and knocked on the door, the sound echoing throughout the empty hallway...

He held his breath as the noise echoed in the empty hallway, and it felt like an eternity before he heard someone moving on the other side.

... then the door opened...

They both stared at each other... neither moving or even seeming to breathe... they _couldn’t_ move...

... Mutt was still the same as she remembered... still a beanpole and wearing that ratty old jacket and dark orange sweats, still had that hunch in his shoulders from his bad posture, still had that gold fang, still looking like he smoked too many dog treats... but there were transparent rust orange tears pricked in the corners of his sockets, and was grinning so wide his face might crack, and if he had a tail, you swear it’d be wagging so fast he’d be thrown off balance.

... She looked different from what he remembered... she looked thinner, like she wasn’t eating enough. She looked worn out, like she hasn’t had a decent sleep in years. Her clothes looked like she’s worn them one too many times, and he briefly noted that he’s seen her wear them when she still lived with all of them... but then the grin on her face blinded him from all the negative stuff and forced him to forget all of it. Her eyes still shun when she looked at him and her grin was still so damn contagious and made his SOUL do flips.

Mutt felt his legs give out from under him after the initial shock began to wear of, falling to his knees as he dropped the things he was holding in favor of throwing his arms around his best friend’s waist, burying his face in her stomach as the tears began to fall... and he began to cry and laugh at the same time, his shoulders bouncing as he rubbed his cheek against her as he gripped onto the back of her shirt, still not really convinced that this wasn’t some kind of dream.

(Y/n) wasn’t all that better, laughing the loudest she has in a long time as she stumbled and leaned over Mutt to hold him close, trying not to fall on her ass with how Mutt was hugging her, pressing him into her and holding him as tight as she could, like he’d disappear if she didn’t. Her nose stung in warning of the oncoming tears.

She tried to take a step back into the apartment, so they weren’t both hanging out in her doorway, but she did exactly what she was trying to avoid and fell flat on her ass, another laugh bubbling up and causing her to wheeze. She dragged Mutt closer, so that he was sitting in front of her, and held him. Her face buried in his shoulder and he did the same, her best friend trying to form words, but they all seemed to leave in the moment.

”i-i... you... fuck. fuck!” He wetly laughed, pulling back to look at (Y/n), who pulled back to look at him as well. “‘m just... so h-happy!” He forced out, leaning into his best friend’s hands when she placed them on the sides of his face to wipe away the rust orange tears. 

“Aw fuck. Don’t cry. You’re gonna make me cry, and then we’ll both be ugly.” You chuckled, having to clear your throat so your voice didn’t wobble, and your face hurt from how wide your grin was when you heard Mutt laugh with you, one of his hands playfully pushing at your shoulder.  
  


”shut up, you’re already ugly without crying. it’d only make you atrocious.” He shot back, using the hand that wasn’t gripping your shoulder to wipe away the stray tear that fell.

“Ooooh, I see you’ve learned a new big fancy word while I was gone.” You jabbed jokingly, trying to take in a deep breath to calm yourself down.

He copied your movements, inhaling as well, his wide grin falling into a gentle smile as he stared at you. “i missed you... so much... i was waitin’ for your text for so long. that mornin’ you left, red came and bust down your door.”

”Ah, fuckin’ figures he’d try to throw hands with me. Good thing I left then, or I’d be thrown out for kicking his boney ass.” You tried to lighten the mood, patting Mutt’s back in comfort. ~~You didn’t really want to think about the others.~~

”heh he.. yeah. i’d be your referee slash cheerleader an’ make sure none of the others tried to join in.” He jokingly played along, his sockets crinkling up as if he were imagining it. “i’d steal one of heather’s thongs an’ get some pom-poms, maybe tag in if you get too tired.”

You were both crackling at this point, stopping at one point, before looking at each other and busting out laughing again, leaning against each other like old time... it was like those two years was just a bad dream and never happened.

It was nice.

It was only when your ass started to go numb that you decided it was time to get off the floor, patting Mutt on the back as you heaved yourself off the ground. 

“Ma ass is goin’ numb. Let’s move this to the couch and not sit in an open doorway like a couple of weirdos.” You joked, one hand held out to the skeleton, and the other one rubbing your numb butt.

He chuckled as he took your hand, letting you do all the work in getting him to stand like he always did, and out of pure habit after doing this for so long, you yanked him off the ground so he’ll come flying up, and it seems that he remembers too, because he was ready to catch himself and not be flung across the room.

”Alright, come on pupperoni.” You casually threw out, motioning for him to get in the apartment, but he stopped mid step and held his finger up.

”oh, wait! almost forgot your stuff!” He said as he bent over and began to pick up the shirts, pillowcases, sheets, and other nicknacks he must have hauled over here.

”Holy shit, Mutt! You kept that stuff all this time?!” You gaped, looking at the stuff you regretfully left behind two years ago in your rush to leave.

He flustered a bit when he came back up, handing over the stuff, not looking at you and rubbing the back of his skull. “heh... yeah.” He shyly mumbled, only to snap his gaze back to you when you set all the stuff on the floor next to the couch.

”Dude! I’m buying you pizza! That’s like the nicest shit anyone’s ever done for me!” You laughed as you pulled out your phone, going to the pizza place’s website. “What kind you want?”

”heh, you already know.” He shrugged, closing the door finally, and walked over to the couch and flopping onto it, his body taking up the whole damn thing with one of his legs sprawled over the back of the couch and the other draped over the other cushion and touching the floor, one arm supporting the couch pillow his head was on and the other was resting on his nonexistent stomach.

You shook your head at his antics. “Eh, just wanted to make sure.”   
  
  


You ordered two _‘five cheese’_ pizzas with stuffed crust.

Ah yes, the two of you are going to eat like royalty tonight, and be constipated tomorrow... or at least, you are.

You flopped down in the space left for you by the skeleton who was currently trying to melt into your couch- but jokes on him, it’s too stiff to sink into!

Shifting around, you got into a more comfortable position with what you had, which consisted of half laying half leaning against the arm rest, since that asshole stole your couch pillow, one arm over the arm of the couch, and the other draped over your stomach, one leg bent in a crisscross, and the other one stretched out in between Mutt and the couch.

..... “Wanna binge watch Total Wipeout?”   
  


“hell yeah.”

Somewhere down the line, maybe two episodes in, someone knocked on your door, and after untangling yourself from Mutt, you dragged yourself to the door and got your pizza, not having to pay in cash since you ordered online, faintly noting how uncomfortable the dude standing there was with being here, seeming even more so when he spotted the lanky skeleton sprawled out on your couch.

After a very brief talk with the pizza boy, confirming that your name was (Y/n) and signing the receipt, you shut the door with pizza boxes in hand, watching as Mutt sat up, almost seeming to drool over them when you sat one of them down in his lap.

You sat down with your own box. 

The two of you looked at each other, an unspoken challenge in the air.

... Then you tore open your box and began inhaling slice after slice.

Mutt fumbled for a split second with the box before doing the exact same, the two of you demolishing the pizza like a couple of rabid animals, trying to finish before the other.

You were down to your last two slices, and beginning to think stuffed crust was a bad idea. But you will not waste stuffed crust!

Mutt was down to three-ish pieces, the third one was halfway eaten and he wasn’t looking any better then you were.

... You finished first, only by one pizza crust, but it was still a win... and you were stuffed, setting the pizza box on the ground and leaning back against the couch arm, groaning and watching as Mutt finished the last of his as well, dropping the box onto of yours... 

The two of you were miserable... but it was worth it.

Mutt pulled his jacket off and dropped it on the floor beside him, following your example and leaning back... 

... “So. Where’s my dog treat?” You asked, a look of amusement spreading on your face when the skeleton looked away from the screen where someone face-planted into one of the big red balls and fell into the water to raise a bonebrow at you.

”Phff. You don’t remember?” 

... he just blankly stared at you.

”Ahhhh, you said you’d save me a dog treat when I left.” You outright laughed at him when his eye sockets widened after a few moments, seeming to finally remember.

”oooh yeah! that’s right. well, i got bad news for you. i either smoked it ‘cause i forgot, or it broke.” He chuckled, stretching in order to reach his jacket on the floor.

You chuckled at that. ”Probably smoked it.”

“probably smoked it.” He hummed in agreement, digging around in his pockets until he pulled out a lighter and a dog treat, leaning back on the couch and passing them to you.

Sticking one end in your mouth, you lit it, letting it sit for a moment to make sure it was actually lit, before sucking in a breath, letting the purple smoke fill your lungs and numb you.

You passed it over to Mutt as you let it out through your nose, feeling a phantom tingle spread through your body as you turned your head to look at your friend. “Holy shit. I just got shivers down my buttcrack.”

Mutt suddenly inhaled the whole treat, coughing violently and laughing in between, pounding a fist on his chest as purple smoke coming out of his mouth, nose, and eye sockets. Some seeping through his ribs and through his shirt.

You chuckled, the treat making you a bit numb as you pat him on the back. “You ok?” You snorted, waiting until the coughing got less intense to stop patting.

He giggled and coughed, still hitting his chest occasionally. “w-what the hell was that? you just cost us a dog treat!” He playfully shoved you, rubbing his chest as he tried to clear his nonexistent throat.

”Phffff, It’s been awhile since I had one. I wasn’t expecting you to inhale it!” You crackled, shoving your foot into his in retaliation. “Go get some water. Cups are in the cabinet.” You gave him another nudge with your foot, effectively getting him to get off the couch, chuckling as you went back to watching people fail.

Mutt considered just sticking his head under the faucet and drinking it that way, but the sink was too small to fit his fat head under, and he was made of bone, so he couldn’t use his hands to cup the water.

So digging around cabinets for a cup it is.

  
  
It took a few moments, but thankfully there weren’t many cabinets to look through.

He grabbed a cup from the right cabinet, about to close it.... only to stop when he seen something glowing blue in the back...

Mutt set the cup down and reached for the glowing thing, his phalanges coming into contact with a plastic bag, and pulled it out.

Only for his SOUL to freeze in his ribcage.

Pills... but not just any pills...

These were Echoflower Hallucinates.

With the baggie gripped firmly in his hand, he quickly made his way back into the living room, panic on his mind.

”(y/n)!” He frantically waved the bag, causing her to jump a bit in her spot and snap her head in his direction.

“Shit, Mutt. You almost gave me a hea-“

”where’d you get these?! how many did you take?!” He cut her off, feeling his SOUL going a mile a minute and his hands shaking.

”Fuck, I only took one. Bought ‘em off my neighbor while I was drunk.” She sat up from her spot. “What’s got your panties in a twist?”

Mutt felt his SOUL finally drop in relief, his body sagging as he blew out a breath. “oh thank the stars.”

Fuck, that could’ve been bad.

”these things are dangerous. their called echoflower hallucinates- extremely illegal and rare. don’t know how the fuck your neighbor got ahold of these, but we gotta get rid of these.” Mutt started, leaving (Y/n) on the couch to go flush the deadly pills down the toilet.

”What’s so bad about them?” Her voice rang through the small apartment, and Mutt waited until he was out of the bathroom to answer.

”they’ll dust you- wait, sorry. _kill_ you. it’s nice while the effects are in effect, but the moment they wear off, they have the chance of killin’ you. and each time you pop one, the possibility of dying is higher- hell, even the first time you take one, it can kill you...” Mutt paused as he realized his friend could have died. “you just got lucky.” 

Mutt plopped himself back onto the couch and scooted over to (Y/n), placing his head on her stomach when she moved her hands out of his way. “back in my underground, only _really_ desperate monster’s took them... and so many monsters were dustin’ from it that the queen banned it completely...”

He paused...

”as the name suggests, they’re made almost entirely of echoflowers, which are incredibly poisonous and cause some serious hallucinations- and some water, i think...” Mutt trailed off, wrapping his arms tighter around his best friend’s waist, feeling emotionally totaled from the day. “i don’t care what you do, since i do the same thing... but don’t buy anymore of those...” He buried his face in her stomach, sagging against her.

”Ah shit, man. If I had known....” She trialed off, patting him on the back. “Yeah, I’m not buyin’ anymore of that shit.”

  
  


The two days went by too fast in Mutt’s opinion... but he knew he couldn’t stay... his brother would track them both down and raise hell... he didn’t want that for (Y/n) when she worked so hard to leave all that behind... 

But that didn’t stop him from cuddling with her on the mattress he remembered was still in the anti-void from when everyone was throwing out her stuff...

... He eventually did have to leave, having to remind himself that he can see (Y/n) at any time now that he knew where she was and had her permission to pop in when he felt like it... 

But when he ‘ported back to the mansion, he was expecting his brother to find him first and be waiting for him... 

... not Classic...

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Why Do I even-](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25590721) by [xxSperaxx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/xxSperaxx/pseuds/xxSperaxx)




End file.
